Seated Buddha in Meditation

This sculpture of Buddha seated in meditation exemplifies the image of the Buddha that evolved in Gandhara, a region that covered parts of present-day Afghanistan, Pakistan, and northwest India. Gandharan sculptors drew on provincial Roman sources, as well as the Hellenistic influence that resulted from Alexander the Great’s conquests in the region. Such influence can be seen in this Buddha’s monastic robe, which is rendered like a Roman toga, covering both shoulders, while the auspicious mark of superior intelligence, a cranial protuberance, is depicted naturalistically as a topknot. The yogic posture seen here, one of meditation with hands folded on the lap, is one of the great contributions of the Indian subcontinent to world art.

Note: This electronic record was created from historic documentation that does not necessarily reflect the Yale University Art Gallery’s complete or current knowledge about the object. Review and updating of such records is ongoing.